iNeed My Phone
by iluvRossR5
Summary: When Kim breaks her new iPhone, her parents get mad, refusing to buy her another one. Kim can't live without a cell phone, but this time her parents are making her pay for it. When Kim complains about it to her friends, they suggest she gets a job. Except the only place hiring is Hooters, and even though she hates the place, Kim needs money. Besides, how hard can working really be?
1. Preface

_Hey readers! This chapter is going to be short, but the other ones will be longer (hopefully). There will probably be romance in later chapters. Enjoy!_

The sun beat down on her tanned shoulders as Kim Crawford sat on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water. Eddie, Jerry, Jack, and Milton were swimming and splashing, urging Kim to join them, but she turned down their offers saying she wanted to get a tan first. Jack didn't understand this at all. Kim already was tan, and besides, who cares what color your skin is? Except Kim, apparently, did care. She currently sat at the deep end, scrolling through her phone. Since she wasn't paying attenition, the boys got together and devised a plan. "I say we give her thirty minutes and if she still doesn't get in, we push her," Jerry plotted excitedly. Eddie nodded in agreement, but Jack and Milton both thought it was a little harsh. "Dude, she's a girl," Jack whispered, knowing that if Kim heard him say that he would be dead.

Eventually they decided to give her ten minutes (Jerry cut the time limit as a result of his plan's rejection) and if she wasn't in someone would sneak up behind her and tickle her until she got in the pool. The minutes passed slowly as the boys swam and occasionally looked over at Kim, who still hadn't suspected a thing. With only two minutes left, they got back together to decide who would be doing the tickling, since Kim hadn't moved from her prior position. Milton quickly announced that it wouldn't be him, because he was afraid Kim would beat him up if he did. Jack rolled his eyes when Eddie and Jerry backed out as well, nominating him to do it. "Come on man, you're the only one with a black belt, so you can protect yourself when she comes after you!" Jerry stated. "I bet Kim wouldn't be mad if_ you _did it, Jack. You said yourself that Kim has a crush on you," Milton added. "Alright, fine," Jack finally agreed. "But you guys can't watch! If you're looking at me sneaking up on her she'll know what's going on," Jack reminded them. As the remaining seconds ticked away, Jack got out of the pool, trying to act like he was just getting his towel, wondering what he had got himself in to.

Kim was squinting at her cell phone screen, trying to read Donna Tobin's latest Facebook update when she felt hands grab her waist. She jumped and squealed, being extremely ticklish and accidentally let go of her phone in the process. The tickling didn't stop, though, so she continued to laugh and gasp for air. All the guys were smirking as she tried to make it stop, doubled over in laughter. "Stop- STOP," she managed to get out. "Will you get in the pool?" Jack asked, still tickling her sides relentlessly. "Yes, fine whatever!" Kim said, still giggling. She caught her breath and slowly got to her feet. Kim turned around to face Jack, who was smiling in victory. "You suck, You know that?" Kim said with a smile. "Yeah, but you love me anyways," Jack answered cockily. Kim rolled her eyes. "You wish," she said while turning around to jump in the pool. She looked into the water to find a shiny white iPhone slowly sinking to the bottom.

Kim felt her heart drop, then sink to the bottom of the pool along with her cell phone. Wasting no more time, she dived head-first into the water, kicking frantically to catch up with the phone. She reached out and grabbed it just before it hit the bottom. She then made her way back to the surface, soggy phone in hand, gasping for air. She grabbed onto the side of the pool and layed the phone on the concrete. Pulling herself out, she glared at Jack who had just been standing there, shocked, along with the rest of the boys. "Jack Anderson, you are SO DEAD!" With that, Jack turned and ran.

_Yes, I know, it was horrible, why wasn't it longer, blah blah blah. Just review!_


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey guys! The first chapter was the preface, if you couldn't tell, so the rest of the story will probably be from a certain character's POV! And before I forget (again... lol) I don't own Kickin It or Apple or anything else I mention in this story. Enjoy!_

KIM

After killing Jack, I decided it was probably best that I go home and see if I could get my phone fixed. I had Milton look at it, but he wasn't sure, so I dried off as best I could and headed for my house. On the way, I passed the mall and decided that it might be better to take my phone to the Apple store. Maybe they could fix it for me and then my parents wouldn't even have to know! _That would be awesome_, I thought as I pushed open the glass doors and walked into a white store full of expensive-looking computers.

I looked around at all the shiny electronics, wondering if someone could help me. Fortunatley, the store wasn't that busy. Sure enough, a man in a red polo walked up. "Hi, can I help you?" He spoke in a polite voice, showing a small smile. "Yeah, I have a problem," I began. He waited for me to go on. "Last week, I finally convinced my parents to get me an iPhone, because my other phone sucked. It was working fine and everything, except earlier I was swimming with some friends, and one of my friends made me drop it in the pool. I swam and got it but now it won't turn on or anything and I really need you to fix it! If you don't my parents will kill me," I babbled. His smile disappeared. "Did it actually drop into the water or did it just get splashed?" I pulled my poor, abused iPhone out of my bag. "It went completely under," I said sadly.

I handed him my phone and he led me back to his desk to take a look at it. After five minutes of anxiety and worry, he finally looked up at me with a frown. "Yep, it's definatley not going to work anymore," he said. I sighed as he confirmed my fears. "But there is some good news," he told me. I took a deep breath. "Go on," I urged. "You said you only got it a week ago, right?" I smiled sadly. "Yeah." He then stood up and walked over to the employee computers. I followed. "Did you buy it at this store?" "Yeah." He looked down and typed a few things. "What's your name?" "Kim Crawford." He typed some more. "What are your parents names?" "Carrie and Kyle Crawford." He looked at the screen for a while until he seemed to find whatever he was looking for. "Ok, Kim, fortunatley your phone is payed off already, so that's good," he said, still looking at the computer. "Except here it says you didn't pay for coverage." That doesn't sound good. "So... how much to get it fixed," I asked quietly. He just sighed. "Honestly, this is probably beyond repair. If you would've paid for coverage we could've given you a new one for free, but you didn't so at this point it would be cheaper to just buy a new one," he said. Well crap.

"Thanks for your help," I muttered, walking out of the store with my head down. I am in so much trouble. I walked slowly, dragging my feet, not really wanting to go home. I knew I would have to tell my parents at some point, though. All too soon, I was standing in my driveway. I took a deep breath and slowly made my way inside. "Kim, is that you?" my mom shouted from upstairs. "Yeah," I said quietly, not really caring if she heard or not. Except apparently she did. Thirty seconds later she was walking down the stairs in my direction. "Kim, where have you been? You were supposed to be home thirty minutes ago! I called you and you didn't answer," she ranted. "Yeah sorry mom, I was at the pool with the guys," I said, praying my voice didn't go too high. "It's okay honey, but next time you need to answer your phone." I looked at the ground. "Well, about that," I said in a voice two octaves higher than normal. My mom just stared, confused.

"_Ikindasortadroppeditinthepoo l_," I muttered quickly, avoiding her eyes. "Kim, no one can understand you when you talk that fast!" _That's kinda the point_, I thought. "Kim," my mother warned. "I dropped my phone in the pool okay!" I yelled at her. "You WHAT?!"

Guess what, I was wrong. She wasn't mad. She was furious. She yelled for my dad and dragged me to the kitchen, where she sat me down to have a "little discussion". Then, when my dad came down, she made me explain the whole story. I hesitated a little bit and decided to leave out the part about how it was really Jack's fault. After all, I didn't need my parents hating my best friend. I told them that I was sitting on the side of the pool, and accidently dropped it in, and that now it won't turn on, praying they believed me. On the bright side, they did. They were upset though. Very upset.

"Kimberly Crawford we bought you that phone LAST WEEK! How is it possible that it's only been seven days and you already broke it? It was a TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR cell phone!" My dad shouted. He ranted some more about his wasted money, and after a while he seemed to calm down enough to actually listen. "Dad, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to!" I told him in my cutest apology voice. He sighed. "Kim, we know you didn't mean to, but that still doesn't make it okay. You have to start being more responsible. That was the third phone you've had _this year_!" I didn't really know what to say to that, so I just looked at the floor. Unfortunatley it was true. First I lost my Rumor Touch (oops), then I dropped my Andriod and it shattered (I didn't like that phone anyways), and you know what happened with the iPhone. "So, can I get a new one?" I asked hesitantly. Apparently that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

He laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. More like a mean, sarcastic one. "Yeah Kim, you can. You can spend your money and buy yourself a new phone." My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe him! I don't have two hundred dollars! Where am I supposed to get that kind of money from? My parents had always payed for my phone! "Oh, and while you're at it, you can pay me back," he added with a smirk. "F-four hundred dollars?" I asked, shocked. "That sounds about right," he replied. "But Dad, how am I supposed to get four hundred dollars! That's going to take months! I need a cell phone! You won't be able to contact me when I'm at karate, or at school, and what about my friends? I won't be able to text them or call them to invite them over!" My dad just smiled. "We can reach Rudy and you're principle, and you don't need to worry about your friends." "Why not?" I asked, not getting the picture. "You're grounded. A month." No. Just, no. This seriously couldn't be happening.

_Okay, yeah, I know the ending sucked, Kim sounds like a spoiled brat, blah blah blah. Honestly, she kind of is one in this story. Deal with it :) Anyways thank you so much for all the reviews! That's the most I've ever gotten for any of my stories and I am so thankful! It made my day :) Also, thanks for all the good ideas! I know this didn't have any Jack in it, but I promise he will appear more in later chapters. _


	3. Chapter 2

_Hola everyone! I'm actually really proud of this story and how well it's coming along! The other night I wrote out the whole plot so now I do now how it's going to end! Thank you to all my readers and reviewers! I love reading your comments! I don't own Kickin It or iPhone or Hooters or anything else mentioned. Enjoy!_

KIM

The next day I reluctantly dragged my butt out of bed at eight. I threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top as workout clothes and then threw another outfit in my backpack for after practice. I zipped up my bag, threw it over my shoulder, and headed out the door, not bothering to say goodbye. I was still mad at them from yesterday. I hopped on my bike and rode to the dojo, which thankfully wasn't far.

When I got there I chained my bike to the rack outside the door and headed inside. I was thoroughly ready to beat dummies until their heads fell off. I was going to pretend they were my parents. I said hello and threw my bag into an empty locker. Jack was already warming up with Milton and Eddie was stretching. Jerry was no where to be seen. This didn't suprise me, though. Jerry wasn't much of a morning person. I sat down next to Eddie and stretched quickly, eager to start punching things to pulp. When I was finished stretching I didn't even bother warming up. I headed strait for the dummies.

I punched relentlessly at their heads, running yesterday's conversation through my head._ Kimberly Crawford we bought you that phone LAST WEEK! How is it possible that it's only been seven days and you already broke it? It was a TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR cell phone! _I kicked the dummy in the chest so hard it fell over. That didn't stop me, though. I simply stepped over and started on a different one. _You can spend your money and buy yourself a new phone. _As my dad's angry voice clouded my thoughts, I tackled the second dummy. Once I had successfully left a dent in the side of his head, I paused to take a break. I turned around to find the guys staring at me like I was from a different planet.

"Woah, Kim, are you okay?" Jack asked hesitantly. "I'm _fine_," I hissed. This was his fault anyways. "Is this about your phone?" Milton asked quietly. I glared at Jack. "Maybe," I hinted in a venemous voice. Jack looked at the floor. When he finally looked up again, guilt was spread across his face. "Kim, I'm really sorry. I promise I didn't mean for your phone to get broken," he said. Except I wasn't that forgiving. "Jack Anderson do you have any idea how much trouble I got into yesterday?" I yelled. He flinched. "I'm grounded for a month. A MONTH! _And_ I have to pay for a new one!" I screamed at him. He bit his lip and looked back at the ground. "Oh, and on top of that I have to pay my dad back, because I only had that phone for a week," I said, barely beginning to calm down. Jack still wouldn't meet my eyes. "Kim, I'm really sorry," he whispered.

I guess between the dummies and my rant, I had gotten the majority of my anger out, because I no longer had the strenght to yell at him. He looked so guilty and regretful that I just couldn't do it. "Jack, how the heck am I supposed to get four hundred dollars?" I asked in my normal voice. He didn't answer, but suprisingly, Milton did. "Well, you could get a job," he suggested timidly. A... _job_? But, I don't know how to work. In fact, I've never worked a day in my life. I just, never really had a reason to. "Like, what kind of job?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know, there are lots of different jobs," Milton answered with a little more confidence. "After practice you could walk around the mall and see what places are hiring," he suggested. "I'm grounded. I'm not allowed to go anywhere except school and the dojo," I reminded him. "I bet your parents would be fine with it if you told them it was for a job," Eddie said. "Yeah, you could call them on Rudy's phone in his office," Jack suggested quietly. I could tell he still felt bad. And he had every reason to.

Even though I didn't want to talk to my parents, I called them anyways. They finally gave in after I asked them how else I was supposed to come up with the money. When they said yes I hung up without saying goodbye. Then I walked out of Rudy's office and returned to practice. About half way through, Jerry finally showed up. Although, he was still half asleep, but hey, that's Jerry. We practiced routines and did some excersizes with the training dummies (well, the ones I didn't break). At the end of practice we sparred for a little while. After beating Milton in thirty seconds, Rudy let me spar with Jack.

We bowed to each other and then got in our fighting stances. I let him throw the first punch, which I easily blocked. I was not in the mood to lose today. I held back for a while, letting him tire, before I really started fighting. When he started to slow down a little, that was when I struck. I kicked high and strong, over and over again, throwing in some punches as well. He ducked and blocked me, but that didn't matter. I still had a ton of energy. We were probably about tied until I ducked under his kick and decided to just go for it. Out of nowhere, I just kind of lept at Jack. I didn't think about how I would land, or if he would block me, I just went for it. I jumped strait at him, which isn't something I would normally do, but then again, I wasn't feeling very normal today. I jumped onto him, my palms finding his chest and with one leg, I struck the back of his knee, knocking his feet out from under him.

The next thing I knew Jack was lying on his back underneath me. I had my hands on his chest and I was straddling his waist. Any other day this would be incredibly awkward, but today I really didn't care. Today I was mad, and I wasn't holding back. The look on Jack's face was absolutley priceless. It was a mix of shock, suprise, and confusion. Like he still hadn't quite grasped the fact that he was on the ground. I slowly got up, so I wasn't still sitting on him, and offered him a hand. He slowly sat up and took it. I helped him up and he just kind of stared at me. "Did you really just...?" Jack wondered out loud. I smirked. "Yep." And with that, I went into the locker room to change.

After taking a quick shower and changing clothes, I headed for the mall. I looked around at all the store windows, but I didn't see any NOW HIRING signs. I decided that I would have to go inside and ask. I went to Phalafel Phil's first. I walked in the door to find Phil at the register, arguing with a customer. "No, I don't want your plastic rectangle! I need money," he insisted. The customer rolled his eyes. "This _is_ money you idiot! It's a credit card," The guy yelled. Phil just shook his head. "No sir, _this_ is money," Phil said, holding up a dollar and some change.

I took this opportunity to walk up and talk to them. "I'm sorry sir, Phalafel Phil's only takes cash, because Phil doesn't fully understand the use of a credit card," I told the customer in my best employee voice. Then I turned to Phil. "Hi, Phil," I said with a smile. "Hello Kim, thank you for talking to that customer, he was confused and said his plastic rectangle was money," he said, shaking his head. "Phil, I really need a job. Are you hiring?" I asked, not bothering with hints. Phil shook his head. "I am sorry Kim, but with Tootsie's vet bills, I don't have enough money," he said. I walked out the door.

I went to Captain Corndog's, but they said all their positions were filled. Store by store, I made my way around the mall, but all I got were "no's". I was even desperate enough to go to the Meatball King's. He told me no, and then twenty minutes of pleading and persuading later, he had his body guard escort me out the door. I went to Larry's, but he said I needed special training. Oh well, I didn't want to work there anyways. I walked around for about two hours, and finally, I realized that no stores in the mall were hiring. Not one single shop. Not even the pretzel cart (and yes, I did ask)! It was ridiculous.

Frusterated, I hopped on my bike and left the mall. As I pedaled, I thought of other places I could go. Normally, the mall would've been my best option. I rode past Hooters, but I definitely didn't want to work there. I wasn't that desperate. Except as I crossed the street and turned the corner, giving me a view of their front window, I saw a white sign that read NOW HIRING in dark red letters. I stopped in my tracks, by bike almost flipping over. I blinked, making sure I wasn't just imagining it. Nope, the sign was definitely there. I should've kept going, but instead, I found myself turning around and crossing the street again. I was getting closer and closer to their front door. This sign was what I had been waiting to see all day. Still telling myself to turn around, I walked through the door.

I was met with the smell of burgers and alcohol. Rock music was playing quietly and ESPN was on the big television that hung from the wall. A girl in a white, low cut v-neck with orange spandex and tacky white boots came up to me. Her hair was curled and she was wearing way too much makeup. "Hi welcome to Hooters!" she said in a sweet voice that sounded like it would be better fit for a seven year old. "Just one?" she asked. I shook my head. "Oh, no I saw the sign in your window and I came to apply for a job," I told her. She looked me over, apparently decided I was good enough, and led me back to an office, hidden in the back of the restraunt. Inside, a chubby man who was going slightly bald sat at a wooden desk, staring at a laptop screen.

"Larry, this girl wants to apply for a job," the waitress told him. He looked up and smiled slightly. It wasn't really a friendly smile, though. It was actually kind of creepy. "Thanks, Lydia," he said, dismissing her. When she was gone, he told he to have a seat. "Hi, I'm Kim and I was wondering if I could apply for a job. I saw the sign in your window," I said hesitantly. "Hi, Kim. How old are you?" "Fifteen." He dug in his desk and pulled out a piece of paper. "Can you stand up?" he asked. A little creeped out by his strange question, I stood slowly. He stared at me, his eyes wandering from my face, to my chest (eww), down to my stomach, and finally to my legs. Apparently appearances were a big factor here.

He smiled and handed me a job application form. I filled it out and then handed it back to him. He read over it for a while and then looked up. "Okay, Kim, if you want the job, it's yours," he said finally. Just one problem. I didn't want the job. I gave him a fake smile, told him I had to check on a few things, and that I would call him tonight with my answer. I left the building, walking faster than I normally would. I could still feel Larry's eyes looking over my body.

_Okay, this chapter was longer than I planned, but oh well. Sorry it took me a while to update. I had to do my stupid summer homework. If you liked it, review. If you didn't, review anyways._


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey, I know it's been a while but between homework, school, volleyball, and cheer I don't have very much free time. To make up for it I made this chapter long. I don't own Kickin It, or Hooter's, or anything else mentioned. This is not meant to offend Hooters in any way.**

KIM

After I got home, I went up to my bedroom. I sat on my bed and sighed, flopping onto my back. I didn't know what to do. I really need the money but I can't work at Hooters. That place is revolting! I thought about it for a while and finally decided to ask my friends. I got on my computer ( I told my parents I needed it for school, so they let me keep it, even though I'm grounded) and pulled up the chat room.

ONLINE CHAT ROOM

**KarateKid135 has logged on**

**NinjaCheerGirl has logged on**

**Whooooooo968 has logged on**

**ThePlayah56 has logged on**

**FutureMillionareScientist63 has logged on**

**NinjaCheerGirl** Well, I found a place that was willing to give me a job

**KarateKid135** That's great!

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **Where at?

**ThePlayah56 **Did u take it?

**NinjaCheerGirl **Ummmm, about that...

**Whooooooo968** Lol... Ten bucks says they kicked her out when she tried to beat someone up!

**ThePlayah56** Dude ur on!

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **Oh Kim, please tell me that didn't happen!

**NinjaCheerGirl **It didn't

**ThePlayah56 **YES! U owe me ten bucks Jerry!

**Whooooooo968 **Crap

**KarateKid135 **So what happened?

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **You never answered my question

**NinjaCheerGirl** Hooters :(

**KarateKid135 **WHAT?!

**NinjaCheerGirl** It was the only place hiring! Trust me, I wouldn't have gone in there unless I was desperate.

**Whooooooo968** Sweet, can u get me a discount?

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **What's WRONG with you, Jerry?

**KarateKid135** Yeah man, that's messed up.

**Whooooooo968 **Dude, have you _seen_ the brunette that works there? She is smokin'

**NinjaCheerGirl **Shut up Jerry.

**ThePlayah56 **So what happened?

**NinjaCheerGirl **The manager is some creepy old guy and he totally checked me out :(

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **Ewww

**KarateKid135 **That's it?

**NinjaCheerGirl **What do u mean "that's it"?

**KarateKid135** I was expecting something more dramatic

**NinjaCheerGirl **Sorry to disappoint u

**Whooooooo968 **Kim, if ur gonna work at Hooters, u gotta stop freaking out when guys look at u

**NinjaCheerGirl** He stared at my boobs!

**Whooooooo968 **What boobs?

**NinjaCheerGirl **Shut up!

**ThePlayah56 **TMI

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **Yeah, I really did not need to know that.

**KarateKid135 **So did u take the job?

**NinjaCheerGirl **I told him I'd think about it and call him tonight with an answer... what should I do?

**Whooooooo968 **TAKE IT! Do u know how popular I will be if I can tell people I'm friends with a Hooter's girl?!

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **Don't take it! That place is inappropriate

**ThePlayah56 **Idk Kim... I guess if no where else is hiring

**KarateKid135** Well, u could work there just until u get enough money and then quit

**NinjaCheerGirl **Yeah... I guess I kinda have to. I can't just not have a phone, plus I can't go shopping until I pay my dad back :(

**Whooooooo968** Is that a yes?

**NinjaCheerGirl **Unfortunatley

**FutureMillionareScientist63 **Good luck, Kim.

**NinjaCheerGirl** Thanks. I'll need it.

**NinjaCheerGirl** **has logged off**

**FutureMillionareScientist63 has logged off**

**ThePlayah56 has logged off**

**Whooooooo968** **has logged off**

**KarateKid135 has logged off**

Closing my laptop, I walked downstairs and picked up our home phone. When my mom asked who I was calling, I told her it was work. Of course, that led to her asking where I got a job at. I quickly muttered that it was a restraunt and then hightailed it out of there. Once I was safe in my room again, I hesitantly dialed the numbers. I pressed each one carefully, and then hit the talk button, before common sense caught up with me. My hand was shaking as I held the phone up to my ear while it rang.

"Hi, thank you for calling Hooters, this is Candi speaking. How may I help you?" Asked a chirpy voice. "Hi, can I speak to Larry? Tell him it's Kim Crawford," I told her impatiently. I tapped my foot anxiously while waiting for her to put Larry on the phone. Soon enough, I heard Candi telling her boss he had a phone call, along with some other background noises. Then a deep, male voice spoke. "Larry speaking," he said. "Hi Larry, it's Kim Crawford, from earlier today," I explained, in case Candi didn't. "Short, skinny blonde?" I rolled my eyes. "That's me."

"What can I help you with, Kim?" "Well, I thought about it, and I called to tell you that I would like to take the job you offered me," I said, in what I hope sounded like an excited voice. "That's great Kim, we are happy to have you on our staff. If you can, I would prefer that you come in tomorrow and we can go over training, salary, uniform, hours, and all that stuff," He told me. "Yeah, I can. What time?" I asked him. "How about noon?" "Sounds great. Thank you so much," I tell him. After muttering goodbyes, we both hang up. I put the phone back, and then plopped down on my bed. All I could think about was how I never want tomorrow to come.

The next day, I got out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. I got ready, taking time to put makeup on, and then headed for work. I grabbed a granola bar out of the pantry and walked out the door while shouting "I'm leaving for work now!" loud enough to hopefully make my parents feel guilty. I rode my bike to Hooters and chained it to the rack, trying not to think about what I was about to do. I walked up to the front door while trying to distract myself with my latest karate move I've been working on instead of focusing on my crappy job. It didn't work.

So, since it was my first day, I figured I might be respected (or at least left alone) if I showed up with a smile, and looked prepared or maybe even intimidating. I plastered a smile on my face that I prayed was realistic enough to convince them. Although, it shouldn't be too hard. From what I've heard, IQ points aren't exactly a requirement in this place, to put it nicely. I reached for the door handle, but before I could grab it someone decides to be polite by opening the door for me, successfully hitting me in the face. It swung just wide enough to hit me square in the nose and I double over in pain. I hold my hands over my numb and tingly face, telling myself that no matter what, I will not cry. My eyes water in protest, but I brush away the tears before they have a chance to fall.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did I hit you?" asked an annoyingly high voice. _No, no. I was just making out with the door_. I looked up at the girl, trying with everything I had not to viciously attack her. She was taller than me by a couple inches, with dark hair that was flat ironed to the point that it looked fried. It was hard to tell what she looked like under all the foundation. I couldn't decide if she was mexican, or if that was her makeup. Probably the latter. "It's fine," I told her in a voice that made it pretty clear it wasn't. Whatever.

I push past her and walk inside, feeling like Voldemort, because I can't feel my nose. I ignore her when she asks how many menus, walking straight for Larry's office. I knock on the door twice before letting myself in. I twist the door knob and push it open to find Larry at his desk with his feet up. His meaty hand was drowning in a bag of potato chips. I could see the salty crubs stuck to his prickly face.

"Oh good, glad you could make it Kate."

"It's Kim."

"Same thing."

I rolled my eyes. Larry pulled open a drawer from beneath his cluttered desk and dug for a minute until he apparently found whatever he was looking for. He pulled out a white packet with bold letters at the top that read **THE OFFICIAL HOOTER'S EMPLOYEE GUIDELINES**. He handed it to me.

"Read it, then get to work."

I shot him a look that said "Are you serious?" but he was to busy pouring chips in his mouth to notice. Giving up, I sighed and read through it. The first page was about how you had to show up on time and stay for the full shift. You can't miss work for school (obviously academics aren't necessary) and if you have to miss you should make up your hours. All employees are required to wear the given uniform... blah, blah, blah.

The rest of it went over customer service and how to treat customers. It told the basics of being a waitress and then briefly went over hosting, clean up, and a couple other positions. It talked about service with a smile, and how to best get a customer to tip you (this part I skipped). On the bright side, you keep all the tips you make. Unfortunatley, constant smiles aren't really my thing.

"Okay, I read through it, but I was hoping you would tell me more about my shifts and what I'm supposed to do. I don't have the uniform yet either," I reminded him. He looked up at me annoyed. "Alright, what size shirt do you wear?" he asked while going over to the wall that was lined with cardboard boxes. "Adult small." Except apparently he disagreed, because he handed me a folded white and orange shirt out of a box that read YOUTH LARGE in scrawled handwriting. I reluctantly accepted it and unfolded it to see what it looked like. It was a white and orange v-neck with short sleeves. The front read "Hooter's" in black letters.

Next he asked me what size shorts I wear. I told him adult small, so naturally he pulled a pair out of the box that says YOUTH MEDIUM. Oh Lord, please let them stretch. He handed me a pair of orange shorts that looked suspiciously close to spandex. Then he handed me white socks and cheesy white boots that came to just below my knees. I guess he didn't care what size shoe I wore. Thank goodness I don't have big feet.

"Um, do the sizes run big or something?" I asked him.

"No."

He didn't explain any further. He told me I would be a waitress and my shift would be three hours long every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I would get paid weekly, at the end of every week. Then Larry told me to go change into my "uniform" and he would show me around. I headed to the bathroom to put on the stripper costume and came out looking like a slut. The v-neck hugged my chest and stomach, coming down way too low to be appropriate. The shorts were tight and short, even when I yanked them down. I put on the socks and then put on the boots, feeling thoroughly humiliated. When I realized I couldn't hide in the bathroom any longer, I slowly walked out the door and into the main part of the restraunt, crossing my arms over my chest in attempt to maintain my dignity. It didn't really work, but on the bright side, I could feel my nose again.

Larry showed me around the restraunt, telling me where to wash my hands and giving me a tour of the kitchen. He told me I could shadow a girl named Jenn, so I could learn to take orders and bring out food. Since I wasn't actually waitressing I got the pleasure of clearing the table after they finished. Once I got the hang of it, he said to come get him so he could watch and make sure. Then I would be able to wait my own tables.

Larry introduced me to "the girls", as he calls them. I knew I would never remember their names, but I smiled and nodded anyways. They all wore the "uniform" and topped it off with excessive amounts of makeup. Maybe they were trying to distract from the outfit. In a way, it almost worked. Jenn didn't exactly seem thrilled about having to help me, but she didn't get a choice. I followed her to her table, but she wouldn't talk to me. To break the silence I told her it was nice to meet her. In response, she rolled her eyes.

"Hi, my name's Jenn and I'll be your waitress tonight. What can I get you to drink?" She asked the customers. Once they answered she wrote it down and sent me to get the drinks. I got a little confused, but thankfully I didn't spill anything and I brought them back to the table safely. For the next three customers Jenn served, she took the orders and then made me put them in and get them. She said I had to so I could "learn" better. I did all the work while she stood there flirting with the boys at the tables. Other than that, it went fine.

Finally, I got to start working my own tables. I was getting sick of doing Jenn's job for her while she got the credit. The first customers I got were two teenage boys that looked slightly older than me. The host led them to my table and then I grabbed my notepad and headed over.

"Hi, my name's Kim and I'll be your server today. Can I start you off with anything to drink?" I asked in my polite customer-voice. The taller boy smirked at me.

"I can have anything on the menu, right?" he asked in a voice that was kind of suspicious.

"Um, yeah." I answered, a little confused. Then his friend knocked a menu off the table. Before I could pick it up, the tall guy butted in.

"Can you please stand on the menu?"

I rolled my eyes and then bent over to pick up his menu, forgetting I was wearing a low cut v-neck. He whistled and I did my best not to punch him in the mouth. I could feel the blush spreading across my cheeks. I said nothing as I handed the menu back to him. My hand was shaking with anger when I set it back down on the table. Without giving him the chance to further humiliate me, I turned around and went back to the kitchen. They ar both getting water. Lord knows they don't need sugar, or worse, alcohol.

I took some deep breaths, counted backwards from ten, and picked up the two cups of water. I carefully walked back to their table, telling myself that I shouldn't even bother. They aren't worth it. "Alright, if you want something else just tell me," I said while setting the glasses on the table. "Oh, I can think of something I want," he said while staring at me. I ignored that comment. "What do you want for dinner?" I asked, annoyed. "I'd like a burger," said the less annoying of the two. "Yeah girl, go make me a sandwich!" His friend added.

_Don't do it Kim, don't do it_. Clenching my fists, I closed my eyes and bit back a response that wouldn't have been appropriate for children to hear. When I opened my eyes, I gave both of them my best glare and walked away quickly, before I could do any major damage. I put in an order for two burgers and then walked outside. I needed some fresh air. I took deep breaths, but they didn't help much. Just who do they think they are? After five minutes of breathing excersizes that didn't help, I went back in to wait for their food. Another five minutes and both sandwiches were ready on a plate. I reluctantly carried them to the table and slammed them down, earning me some stares from other customers.

"Enjoy." I said while walking away. If they said one more little comment I was going to lose it. I watched them from a distance, and when they finished eating I slowly dragged myself back over there. "I'll bring the check," I told them while picking up there plates. "Can I get some dessert?" asked the obnoxious boy. "No!"

I almost ran to get the check. The sooner they leave, the better. I didn't completely know how to ring up customers, but from watching the girl in front of me, I mostly got it. The reciept printed and I tore it off. Then I walked to the table and set it down. He payed but I noticed he didn't leave a tip. This was not going to work for me. "You forgot the tip." I reminded him, irritated. After everything I've been through today, I deserve to get payed. I don't put up with trashy pick up lines for free. "Well I can't give it to you until you come over here and bend over!" he said, eyeing my chest.

Now, I could've reminded him that I wasn't a stripper, but based on previous experiances, I didn't think that would fully get the message across. I formed a fist and flew at him, tackling him out of his chair and onto the floor. I grinned at the sound his nose made when it was introduced to my knuckles. I got in two more hits before I was pried off of him by an unknown force. Otherwise known as my boss.

"Kim, I'm sorry but you can't work here," he told me sternly. Wait, _what_?! No! I _need_ this job! I stuttered and pleaded for a little while, in shock that I was being fired before I was really even starting the job. "Larry, I'm super sorry and I swear it won't happen again! I promise. Please just give me another chance! Please!" I begged, not worrying about dignity. To get me to shut up, he said that I get one more chance. I hugged him, thanking him repeatedly. Then I turned around to find the second guy holding up his cell phone. He had recorded the whole thing.

**Love it? Hate it? Tell me.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. Before I start I just wanted to say that this is probably not how it works at Hooters, so I apologize for making it sound like a bad place. This is just what I've heard based off of Undercover Boss and it's bad reputation. I have nothing against it, I just choose to pick on it, because it's a good setting for comedy and there's lots of things I could do with it for this story. I apologize if you like the restraunt, I didn't mean to offend anyone, but using Hooters made it a lot easier than making up a restraunt. If I had, I would've had to explain the restraunt and it wouldn't have been as funny. Blah, blah, blah, end of boring A.N., I don't own anything, on to story...**

** KIM**

I got home on Sunday and my dad did a double take when I walked through the door. "What do you think you're wearing?" _Gee dad, I don't know. You tell me_. "My work uniform," I told him. The look on his face was priceless. "Kim, honey, where exactly did you get a job at?" _The only freaking place in the entire town that's hiring_. "Hooter's," I told him in a very matter-of-fact voice. "Oh, Lord. Kim, I know you're still mad at me, but you really didn't have to go this far to prove a point." With that comment, I turned around and went upstairs.

Monday morning I got up and got ready for school, still half-awake. I shoved my homework into my backpack and then headed out the door. I slung my bag over my shoulder and hopped on my bike. Then I rode to school, humming a song that had been stuck in my head. When I got there I chained my bike to the rack and walked inside. I could immediatly tell something was up. As I walked down the halls, I could hear whispers and giggles coming from girls and their cliques. A boy from my science class came up to me. "Hey Kim, how's the new job?" He asked, smirking. I pushed past him to find Jerry, surrounded by a group of guys. "Yeah, I'm friends with a Hooter's girl. Yo, me and her are, like, totally tight." He was bragging loud enough to hear from across the building. _This is just fantastic_.

I went to my locker, glaring at everyone who stared and whispered, daring them to come say something to my face. This stopped them just long enough for me to walk out of hearing range, so they could continue. I opened my locker and grabbed my stuff for class. While I was unloading my backpack, Milton walked up. "Hey Kim," he said. He seemed nervous. "Hi." "Look, I just wanted to tell you that everything will be okay. People will forget about your job soon enough, just ignore them." For the rest of the day, I tried my best to take Milton's advice. It was hard, though, especially when I was thinking about how much I didn't want to go to work tonight.

Unfortunatley, 5:30 came faster than I wanted it to. I walked into work, taking the employee entrance this time. "Hi, Larry. I'm sorry about yesterday, but I promise today will go better." I told my boss in a sweet voice. "Your right, Kim. Today will be better. Do you know why?" he asked. "Umm, no. Why?" I asked, confused. "Because today, you won't be waiting tables. Today you have cleanup duty." I just gave him a blank stare. He rolled his eyes. "That means, you wipe up the tables (he made a wiping motion with his hands), sweep the floor (He pretended to sweep) and wash the dishes," he said very slowly, like he was talking to a four-year-old. I had a lot of thoughts about this comment. Most would get me fired in an instant. But instead of telling Larry exactly what I thought of him and his sweeping, I decided to play it safe and just nod. I bit my lip to refrain from telling him just where he could put his dishes.

I headed into the kitchen, and one of the chefs gave me an apron to wear. It covered more than my uniform did. I put on rubber gloves, and grabbed a sponge. Then I started on the growing pile of gross plates, cups, and silverware. I scrubbed, rinsed, and repeated, many times, before I put the dishes into the dishwasher where they would be washed again, just to be safe. While the dishwasher was running, I went out into the main part of the restraunt and started helping people clear tables. I wiped down a couple, and then dried them with napkins. Then I stacked up the plates and cups, and carefully balanced them while I walked slowly back to the kitchen. A gigantic pile of dishes was already waiting for me. Oh, and to top it off, the dishwasher was done so I needed to unload that, too.

Feeling overwhelmed, I walked back to the booths, to finish washing tables and picking up people's gross plates. "Hey! New girl!" One of the waitresses called. I turned around, annoyed. "My name is Kim." I told her. "That's great. You forgot a spoon, and when you're done I need you to sweep under this table for me." I gave her my best fake smile. "Of course, because obviously you're way too busy to do it yourself!" I told her in my fake-sweet voice. She just stood there, scrolling through her cell phone. "I'm so glad you understand," she said, without looking up. At that moment I completely forgot my promise to be good. Just for her little comment, I grabbed the spoon (which just happened to be covered in tomato soup) and kicked the trash into the corner underneath the booth where no one would see it. The waitress was still standing there texting, unnoticed by Larry who must have been in his office. While walking by her on the way back to the kitchen, I "accidentally" tripped over my air, successfully flicking cold, red soup onto the girl's butt.

"Oops, I'm so clumsy!" I giggled apologetically. The waitress, who hadn't quite figured out she had a giant red stain on her shorts yet, just rolled her eyes. But that wasn't the reaction I wanted, so I decided to take it a step further. With a fake gasp I looked at her butt and whispered, "I think you need a tampon." Panicked, she turned around to check. With that, I twirled my hair around my finger and giggled. "Just wanted to let you know," I said. After that, I walked into the kitchen, holding in laughter.

When I got back to the overflowing sink, it finally hit me, and I realized that I really should've have done that. Lord knows I don't need any more trouble. But at the same time, I couldn't just let her push me around! What else was I supposed to do? I may be unexperianced, but I was not about to let some stringy-haired, cake-faced, diva tell me what to do while she stands there texting! _Relax, Kim. Maybe no one will notice_.

Unfortunatley, someone did. That someone, being the stringy-haired, cake-faced, diva. She strutted into the kitchen, wiping fake tears from her made-up eyes. Two other girls who looked unfamiliar rushed over to comfort her. They carefully wrapped their arms around her, careful not to break any fake nails, or mess up and make up. I wondered if that even qualified as a real hug. In my book it didn't. They whispered to each other, while shooting the occasional death-glare my way. I could hear them calling me words that I wasn't allowed to say.

Finally, one came over, backed up by the other girl. The girl I spilled soup on was watching from a distance. "Look new girl, I don't know who you think you are, or what you think you're doing, but it ends here. We know you're insecure and obviously just jealous, but that doesn't make it okay to embarrass someone by spilling soup on them!" She lectured. The girl behind her chimed in with a "Mmm-Hmm!" I rolled my eyes. Wrong move.

"Ohmigod! You know what? I don't like your attitude, new girl. If you're going to continue to be a bitch, then we can sure as hell take this outside. You don't mess with my friends, and if you think you can pull it off, you're going to have to go through me first," she said in a superior voice. "Me too, new girl! I don't know who you think you are but-" the backup girl was cut off by the original, and she held up her hand to prove it. I just kind of stood there in shock. Was it possible to be this big of a hypocrite? Apparently it was. Obviously, proving that I'm not some bratty bully wasn't going to work. Neither was telling them that they're idiots. So, I decided I would have to take another way out. The victim.

Pushing aside every ounce of dignity I had left, I looked at the floor and pretended to sob. If it worked for the waitress I spilled soup on, why shouldn't it work for me? Now before I do this, let's just make one thing clear; Kim Crawford is _not_ a coward. I do _not _back down from a fight, and I am _not_ afraid of any of them. Sometimes, you have to get creative, though. Sometimes, in order to win, you have to beat them at their own game. How was I going to do that? I was going to prove them right. "I- I'm so sorry! It's just been a really bad day, and I'm such a clutz! I didn't mean to spill on her when I tripped, I just fell and it was like, totally embarrassing and I'm so sorry!" I paused to add in a sob for dramatic effect, "I didn't mean to say that, I was just so embarrassed because that's like, the fifth time I've tripped today, and everyone at school makes fun of me! I'm so sorry, I'm normally not like this," I sobbed. They both looked at each other for a minute, not quite sure what to think. "Look new girl, whatever. Just make sure it doesn't happen again," she said. Then she left with her friend.

Life-lesson number 1: Sometimes, in order to win, you have to make the other person think that you lost. I worked the rest of my shift in satisfied silence.

**Ta-daaa! What did you think? Tell me and let me know!**


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